RSS

This is a quick simple explanation of what RSS (Real Simple Syndication) is,




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

Some readers:



Bloglines - From ASK

Google Reader - Google's

NewsGator - RSS news aggregator that runs in Microsoft Outlook.

There are alot of readers out there so if you don't want to try one of the above check out Yahoo's Directory of RSS Readers and Aggregators.

Video Tools Igniting the Digtal World

At Il 2008 Connie Crosby ( who btw is present in the you tube video below) presented new tools in instant audio and video. One of them is ooVoo a video chat service. The free service allows up to three people to chat via video. The chats can be recorded. You can get more people involved at the pay levels. ooVoo works best with windows but there is a macbook beta version out. The video is a real cool & slick presentation of ooVoo's maiden voyage ...so to speak



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cacYjY46Do

The Death Of Reference?

The Death of Reference?

Well not quite according to Kate Sheehan from the Darian Library, Joseph Murphy from Yale University and Ellen Petersen of Maui Community Library. But could it be the death of the Reference Desk? Maybe...

Both Kate and Joseph have implemented text messaging at their respective libraries. Could texting be the next logical step from IM reference?

On the other hand Kate at the Darian Public Library found herself and her staff without a reference desk during renovations...the solution...Roving Reference.

Each library is utilizing innovative ways to answer their users questions and maybe that what it's all about?

Cool Tools for Library Webmasters

Vischeck--Allows the user to see the world as color blind people see it.
Thumbalizr--Create a thumbnails of images.
Feng-Gui--Find out how people view your website or photo and which areas are getting most of the attention.
Color Palette Generator--Enter the URL of an image to get a color palette that matches the image.
Link Bunch--Lets you put multiple links into one small link which you can share over IM, Twitter, email or even a mobile phone SMS.
Truecrypt--Enables encryption of a memory stick.

Another tip: Create a fun 404 error page.

Back In Monterey

I'm so happy to be at my second Internet Librarian conference. I've been to so much already, it's hard to know where to begin. The beginning is one place. Yesterday I heard Nancy Dowd from the New Jersey State Library talk about a new kind of marketing. At least it was new to me. Her opening statement was "Our job is not to convice people they need libraries. It is to convince librarians they need people."
The message that jumped out at me was that we need authentic communication, and that we need to relate with stories. If we want to talk to legislators or the media, we need stories of how libraries change lives. This is a way to reach the influencers. She is going to begin an initiative in New Jersey whereby she will teach libraries how to collect stories, turn them into digital stories, categorize them by issue, and set up story banks. What an idea!! Then when a story is needed, it will be there (with the required permissions). Does anybody else think this is an idea worth pursuing? For more information go to themword.blogspot.com

Librarian writes tell-all book, gets fired

This was posted August 12, 2008 on WorldNetDaily
The Librarian, (she used the pen name Ann Miketa) who wrote "The Library Diaries", a fictional account of made up library charachters was fired from her position at the Ludington Library in Michigan.

An anthropological introduction to YouTube

Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University Mike Wesh presented this to the Library of Congress, June 23rd 2008.
It's about an hour but interesting!



And here's his "Web 2.0" in just under 5 minutes"




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAO-lZ4_hU